Waiting on Wednesday #8

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly awaiting.

I am desperately awaiting the release of:

The Near Witch 
by Victoria Schwab

Publication Date: August 2nd 2011
Publisher: Hyperion Books

Summary (courtesy of Goodreads):
The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.
If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.
And there are no strangers in the town of Near.

These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.
But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.
The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.
As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.
Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab’s debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won’t soon forget.

Why I want to read this:

Actually I have already read it. And it is my top-most favourite book this year. Seriously, The Near Witch is amazing! Great writing, great characters, great plot - and I love that it is a stand-alone!

The Near Witch was the first ARC I ever received and I read it while my apartment was re-done. Yet the story was so captivating that for most of the time I completely forgot where I was. You can read my full review here. 

So understandably I want to add a finished copy of this beauty to my book collection!

If you haven't checked out The Near Witch yet, do so. NOW!